The 21-hour hostage crisis in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district finally ended on Saturday night with more than 250 villagers abducted by Naxals returning home to their village Marenga. While the family members of the released villagers took a brief sigh of relief, the same could not be said for the Nag family.

Maoist rebels who ambushed a paramilitary patrol in Chhattisgarh on Monday and killed 14 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers, allegedly used villagers as human shields as they fired at the soldiers, who could not retaliate.

Following charges that security forces had killed 17 Chattisgarh villagers by branding them as Maoists last week, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said he was "deeply sorry" if any innocent person was killed.

Amid controversy over allegations that innocent villagers were killed in a Naxal encounter in Chhattisgarh on Friday, Tribal Affairs Minister KC Deo today said he would take up the matter with Home Minister P Chidambaram. The minister also slammed the state government, saying it has a "notorious track record."

It was an operation that was described as a great success in the battle against Naxalism. On Friday, 19 people were killed in the state of Chhattisgarh by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police. Officials alleged that those killed were Naxals. But a series of allegations by opposition parties and villagers challenge that.